Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the total carbon emission from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the total carbon emission from military establishments  (a) in the UK and  (b) based abroad in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The estimated Ministry of Defence carbon emissions from buildings within the UK and Overseas defence estate in each year since 1997 are:
	
		
			  Emissions in CO2 tonnes 
			   UK Defence Estate  Overseas Defence Estate  Total 
			 1996-97 — — 2023 
			 1997-98 — — 1837 
			 1998-99 — — 1878 
			 1999-2000 1684.9 361.5 2046.4 
			 2000-01 1665.8 361.5 2027.3 
			 2001-02 1574.5 356.0 1930.5 
			 2002-03 1592.5 353.8 1946.3 
			 2003-04 1614.1 367.0 1981.1 
			 2004-05 1655.9 354.5 2010.4 
		
	
	It is not possible to separate out UK and overseas emissions prior to 1999 and figures for 2005-06 are not yet available. However the latter will be published later this year in the Sustainable Development Commission's Sustainable Development in Government Report 2005-06, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House.

Special Educational Needs

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children received special educational needs statements in the London borough of Bexley in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Children for whom the authority maintains statements of Special Education Needs (SEN): Position in January each year: 2001 to 2006 Bexley local authority area 
			   Total number of children for whom the authority maintains statements of SEN  Number of children for whom statements of SEN were made for the first time 
			 2001 1,255 204 
			 2002 1,333 194 
			 2003 1,421 197 
			 2004 1,479 208 
			 2005 1,526 207 
			 2006 1,568 n/a 
			 n/a = Information on the number of children for whom statements were made for the first time is collected retrospectively. Source:SEN2 Survey

Rural Payments Agency

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) budget allocation and  (b) actual expenditure of the Rural Payments Agency was in each year since 2000.

Barry Gardiner: The gross running costs and budget allocation associated with the administration of the payments by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) since its formation in October 2001 are listed in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Actuals  Budget 
			 2001-02 119.619 111.401 
			 2002-03 116.147 117.185 
			 2003-04 175.986 192.848 
			 2004-05 229.588 219.011 
		
	
	The above costs associated for 2003-04 were prior to re-statement which occurred as a result the merger of a division of DEFRA into RPA.

Birthing Units

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost was of an uncomplicated delivery in each birthing unit in Hampshire in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The specific information requested is not held centrally. However, the table gives the average cost of delivery healthcare resource groups (HRGs) for national health service trusts in Hampshire from 2004-2005.
	
		
			   Reference costs (£) 
			   Normal delivery without complications  Assisted delivery without complications  Caesarean Section without complications 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 1,085 1,506 2,176 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 551 1,147 1,138 
			 Winchester And Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust 830 1,051 1,751 
			 North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust 1,027 1,524 2,415

Neurological Conditions

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps her Department is taking to encourage the recruitment of  (a) consultant neurologists,  (b) specialist nurses and  (c) other staff required to implement the national service framework for long-term neurological conditions;
	(2)  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to develop joint working on the implementation of the National Service Framework for Long Term Neurological Conditions and the Long Term Conditions Strategy; and if she will make a statement;

Rosie Winterton: The role of primary care trusts (PCT) to work jointly with local authorities, and other local partners, to develop and deliver local area agreements (LAAs) for their area has been set out in successive Government guidance on national health service local delivery plans and in correspondence to strategic health authorities.
	LAAs have proved an important catalyst for improved partnership working. Many of the pilot areas have reported a step change in effective partnership and cross-agency planning and working, particularly between the PCT and the local authority in the way services are commissioned - this has contributed to strong performance in outcomes, including implementation of the national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions and the long-term conditions strategy as detailed in 'Supporting People with Long-term Conditions'.
	Local employers are responsible for recruiting and retaining the health and social care workforce they need to provide local services. The national strategies and tools are already in place to support trusts to recruit and retain staff, promote training and development and redesign their workforces to implement the NSF over the 10-year timescale.

Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were on NHS waiting lists per 100,000 population in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is shown in the table
	
		
			  Inpatient waiting list per 100,000 of the population (England, commissioner based) 
			   Period ending  In-patient waiting list  Mid-year estimate population (Thousand)  Waiting list per 100,000 population 
			 1996-07 March 1997 1,131,201 48,665 2,324 
			 1997-08 March 1998 1,276,965 48,821 2,616 
			 1998-09 March 1999 1,060,356 49,033 2,163 
			 1999-2000 March 2000 1,024,654 49,233 2,081 
			 2000-01 March 2001 995,123 49,450 2,012 
			 2001-02 March 2002 1,021,604 49,647 2,058 
			 2002-03 March 2003 975,338 49,856 1,956 
			 2003-04 March 2004 890,205 50,093 1,777 
			 2004-05 March 2005 808,810 50,432 1,604 
			 2005-06 March 2006 771,107 50,432 1,529 
			 2006-07 August 2006 759,136 50,432 1,505 
			  Note:  Population data for 2006 not available—2005 population figure is used as an estimate.   Source:  Department of Health QF01, ONS populations

Cannabis

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what volume of cannabis was confiscated in each year between 2002 and 2005.

Vernon Coaker: The amounts seized in England and Wales, and in Scotland, in the years for which figures are available are set out in the attached table.
	
		
			  Quantity of Cannabis Seized in England and Wales  2002 -05 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Herbal (Kgs) 34,870 29,520 21,380 n/a 
			 Plants (Number) 52,140 80,500 88,670 n/a 
			 Resin (Kgs) 41,410 69,030 62,060 n/a 
			 n/a = not available. Source: Seizure of Drugs England and Wales 2004. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 08-06. 
		
	
	
		
			  Quantity of Cannabis Seized in Scotland 2002 - 05 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Herbal (Kgs) 34,870 29,520 n/a n/a 
			 Plants (Number) 52,140 80,500 n/a n/a 
			 Resin (Kgs) 41,410 69,030 n/a n/a 
			 n/a = not available Source: Drug Offenders. Home Office Findings 256 3/05.

Drink-driving

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been found guilty of driving while intoxicated within London's City and Metropolitan police areas in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Information taken from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on findings of guilt for offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, from 2000 to 2004 (latest available) is given in the following table. The majority of convictions within this offence group are for the offence of 'driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit [Road Traffic Act 1988,s. five (1) (a)]'.
	Data for 2005 will be available early in 2007.
	
		
			  Findings of guilt at all courts for offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1) , City of London and Metropolitan police force areas—2000-04 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004( 2) 
			 City of London police 162 162 221 230 169 
			 Metropolitan police 11,801 11,260 12,905 12,621 13,227 
			 (1 )Including the following offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988: Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment), [s. 4(1)]  Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit. [ s. 5 (1) (a) ]  Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time, he/she was driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [ s. 7 (6) ]  In charge of a motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (impairment). [ s. 4 (2) ] In charge of a motor vehicle while having a breath, urine or blood alcohol concentration in excess of the prescribed limit. [ s. 5 (1) (b) ]  In charge of a motor vehicle and failing to provide a specimen for a laboratory test or two specimens for analysis of breath if at the relevant time, he/she was driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle. [ s. 7 (6) ]  Failing without reasonable excuse to provide a specimen of breath for a preliminary test. [ s. 6 (4) ]  Excluding offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 3A: Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs. (2) From 2004 onwards the courts were asked to identify separately drink and drugs offences, under s. 4 (1) and s. 4 (2) of the RTA88, where this information was clearly evident. In 2004 most courts continued to record as combined drink/drugs offences.   Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Under-age Drinking

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions of retailers there have been in each of the past 10 years for selling alcohol to underage customers.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for criminal Justice Reform showing the number of retailers prosecuted of selling alcohol to minors is shown in the following table. Figures for 2005 will be available in November 2006.
	The offence of sale of alcohol to a person under 18 can attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND). The offence was added to the PND scheme on 1 November 2004, and there were 113 Penalty Notices issued for the offence in November and December of that year. Provisional data for 2005 shows that a further 2,009 penalty notices were issued for the offence in 2005.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for selling alcohol to underage customers, England and Wales 1995-2004( 1,2) 
			  Offence description  Principal statute  Year  Proceeded against 
			 Selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises Licensing Act 1964 S.169 A & B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1 1995 198 
			   1996 251 
			   1997 214 
			   1998 310 
			   1999 204 
			   2000 130 
			   2001 155 
			   2002 168 
			   2003 604 
			   2004 836 
			 Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 Licensing Act 1964 S.181 A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1 988 S.1 7 1995 — 
			   1996 — 
			   1997 1 
			   1998 1 
			   1999 1 
			   2000 2 
			   2001 3 
			   2002 2 
			   2003 12 
			   2004 5 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Bailiffs

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints were received by his Department in relation to the methods used and conduct of bailiffs and other debt collectors in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Department for Constitutional Affairs has responsibility for bailiffs and complaints would be directed to them.
	Debt collectors have to be licensed by the Office of Fair Trading to collect debts under consumer credit agreements and the OFT issued trading practices guidance for them in 2003. The OFT has received the following number of complaints about debt collectors for the last three financial years:
	
		
			   Number of complaints 
			 2003-04 (1)346 
			 2004-05 1,079 
			 2005-06 1,760 
			 (1 )Approximate. 
		
	
	As a result of complaints, and other sources of information, the OFT has issued the following number of letters to debt collectors in the last three financial years reminding them of their responsibilities and warning them about their future conduct where there appears to be a breach of OFT Guidance:
	
		
			   Number of letters issued 
			 2003-04 33 
			 2004-05 50 
			 2005-06 42

Business Start-up Assistance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new business start-ups there were per 10,000 head of population in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business start-ups and closures. DTI data on the number of VAT registrations in the UK in each year from 1997 to 2004 are shown in the table. These are shown per 10,000 head of resident adult population (those aged 16 and above). The number of de-registrations and end of year stock of VAT registered businesses per 10,000 head of resident adult population are also given. Data for 2005 will be available autumn 2006.
	VAT registrations per 10,000 head of resident adult population remained roughly constant between 1997 and 2004, with a degree of fluctuation from year to year. However, the stock of VAT registered businesses per 10,000 population rose by approximately 5 per cent. over this period.
	The actual stock of VAT registered businesses from the end of 1997 to the end of 2004 is shown in the following table. In total, the number of VAT registered businesses has risen by over 150,000 since 1997.
	
		
			  UK stock of VAT registered businesses, 1997-2004 
			   Total end-year stock 
			 1997 1,667,310 
			 1998 1,705,050 
			 1999 1,733,160 
			 2000 1,758,455 
			 2001 1,775,835 
			 2002 1,796,335 
			 2003 1,817,820 
			 2004 1,819,870 
			  Source:Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2004, Small Business Service, available from the Library of the House and also at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats. 
		
	
	
		
			  UK VAT registrations and end year stock of registered businesses per 10,000 resident adult (16+) population, 1997-2004 
			   Registrations per 10,000 population  End-year stock per 10,000 population 
			 1997 39 360 
			 1998 39 367 
			 1999 38 371 
			 2000 38 375 
			 2001 36 376 
			 2002 37 378 
			 2003 40 380 
			 2004 38 378 
			  Note:Population data obtained from Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Source:Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2004, Small Business Service, available from the Library of the House and also at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats. 
		
	
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million businesses (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2005.